FNX Magokiler Posted November 30, 2023 Posted November 30, 2023 The European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has detected for the first time a soft green glow in the night sky of Mars, visible to the naked eye. This phenomenon could become a natural guide for future explorers, illuminating the polar regions during the Martian night. Nightglow, in which the atmosphere experiences weak light emissions that prevent the night sky from completely darkening, is a well-known phenomenon also observed on Earth; It is even a relatively common phenomenon in the atmospheres of the Solar System, such as on Mars, where it was expected, but had only been seen in the "daylight" of the planet on two occasions. “These observations are unexpected and interesting for future trips to the red planet,” says planetary scientist Jean-Claude Gérard, from the University of Liège (Belgium). According to experts, this phenomenon occurs when oxygen molecules separate under sunlight, travel to the dark side of Mars and join again, generating electrons that cause the green glow about 50 kilometers above the planet's surface. Recognized under the term “airglow,” these emissions share similarities with the “auroras” we witness on Earth when energized particles from the Sun interact with our atmosphere. However, despite this similarity, the main distinction between airglow and auroras is that the latter exhibit notable variations in terms of space and time, while airglow is characterized by its uniformity, as explained in detail the ESA blog. The discovery, documented in the journal Nature Astronomy, has surprised the scientific community and offers new perspectives for future missions to the red planet. In addition, it sheds light on the composition and dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, providing valuable data on oxygen density and the interaction between sunlight and the solar wind. According to Universe Today, these findings strengthen the similarities between Mars and Earth, highlighting connections in their compositions and atmospheric processes. The information collected could also be crucial to understanding why some worlds are conducive to life, while others adopt different fates. As various space agencies plan future manned missions to Mars, these in-depth investigations are expected to unravel more secrets about the Red Planet's past and possibly offer clues to the current or past existence of life on Mars. https://www.elmostrador.cl/cultura/ciencia-cultura/2023/11/30/detectan-por-primera-vez-extrano-resplandor-verde-en-marte/
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